The invention relates to a machine comprising a mechanical guide element.
In the case of machines such as e.g. machine tools, production machines and/or robots, each machine axle has a mechanical guide element for guiding the displacement of a single device such as e.g. a tool spindle or a workpiece holding device along the guide element. It is customary during machining e.g. of a workpiece that the tool spindle and/or the workpiece holding device is/are displaced by means of a respectively assigned drive apparatus. As well as these so-called NC (Numerical Control) guided machine axles, customary machines also possess so-called PLC (Programmable Logic Control) guided machine axles which enable the displacement e.g. of a tool changing device (tool changer). Should a tool be changed for a new machining process, e.g. from milling machining to boring machining, it is then customary that the milling cutter is first stopped and the tool spindle which drives the milling cutter is displaced along the guide element to a position at which a tool changing device can perform the tool change. However, this position is often relatively far from the actual position at which the milling machining takes place such that a relatively long time is required for the displacement of the tool spindle and thus the production process must be stopped for a longer time.
Moreover, in customary machines, the tool changing device folds from an idle position for changing the tool. In this case, the displacement process of the tool changing device is guided on a different guide element from the guide element of the tool spindle. This solution is mechanically relatively complex.